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I bought my 05 Mars Red with 62K back in early 2013. It now has 108K. It has left me stranded on my driveway once when the starter went out. Besides the basic maintenance, i've had to the address the rear main seal, CPS, suspension bushings and rear tires, otherwise it has been the most reliable car i've own. It currently has a hair line crack on the front bumper due to a unforeseen parking curb, but that should be fixed soon. Overall I've been pleased with my ownership of it. I have my eye on a coupe W204 63, but every time i think of the possibility of another car payment, i love my paid-off C55 even more LOL.
Beautiful and rare color man I am honestly jealous. Any mods? this one reminds me of a renntech supercharged c55 that I saw here a while back. Unforseen parking curbs are a menace to our society so I relate to the bumper damage. I too am looking at w204's near me. They are getting ridiculously cheap. There was a 70k mile black on black c63 for 12k a few hours away for me. But then I get into my c32 and pull up next to any car and dont even bother turning my head since I know what I have. Hope you get your w204 one day though
I got the AMG bug after following the legit streetcars youtube channel which relieved me of a lot of the fears I had of Mercedes ownership. I picked this 2006 C55 up last month with 69,003 on the clock. I dont mind wrenching on my cars and have been surprised by how straightforward a lot of the
repairs are.
Such a clean white. I normally don't like white cars especially since I test drove a white c55 some years back that needed some exterior TLC so it put me off. However this represents all the best qualities of a white sleeper. I agree on the simplicity of maintenance/repairs. My mechanic actually told me that he doesnt like european cars (still doesnt) but that my c32 has given him a new perspective. He can't charge me the MB tax because the repairs I go in for are incredibly simple and I supply my parts. I am considering a cheap white c55 for my pops since one popped up near me but its not as nice. I wish you trouble free miles and I hope you post any mods you will do if any.
The interior of my C55 is holding up surprisingly AWESOME, especially with it being 14+ years old and driven for 218,000+ miles. Even the seats are in FANTASTIC shape in terms of color, feel, foam, wear, etc.
In comparison to my SL65, the SL65's seats look very worn, and it's supposedly higher quality leather, 3 years newer, and 120,000 less butt time. But you do notice in the SL65 that the soft touch surfaces are real leather (everywhere, every surface, everywhere you look and feel) whereas the soft touch in the C55 is actually just injection molded soft plastic.
I had no idea your 55 had such high miles (relatively high of course) but that is a testament to the quality. Why did you have to pull out the v12 on me now? I am planning extremely hard on getting a s65 in the future. How has it been for you maintenance wise? is the suspension really as troublesome as people say. I really like the sl55 but an sl65 is just drool material.
Former MBZ tech here, I have had my 03 for almost 2 years now, I bought it from the original owner with 190K Miles on it in pristine condition. It was a great deal and I thought it would hold me over until I found a 211 e55, Little did I know I would be hooked on the 203 chassis. I love this car, didn't pay much attention to them when I use to work on them but the fact that I rarely saw them come in for work told me they were reliable. As a mechanic, I know what type of customer buys an AMG new, owns it for 14 years puts 190K miles on it and the car was pristine, that is the type of used AMG you want. Any repair that was ever recommended, the previous owner did. The car has been flawless, I have over 218K miles on it now and just received my H&R coilovers this week. Front shocks are getting noisy so it is time for a suspension refresh. Full coilovers and new control arms are all that's left for me to do. I have always been into modding cars and this is the only car I have owned that is stock because in the back of my mind I still wanted the 211, not so much anymore. After the suspension refresh the car will be ready for some mods, if I blow it up I'm going with a M113k swap because that is really the only reason I wanted the 211. W203 is a great chassis that gets over looked by almost everyone, the dimensions of this car are perfect for me, not to big and not too small, they are very capable and unassuming......... until you put your foot down.
Reading "218k miles" and "just received coilovers" really inspires me to pull the trigger on a pulley/ and tune for me 32 despite having close to 170k miles. Thank you for continuing a legacy. As for the m113k swap....dude I have literally been cross pricing s203 wagons and v8k engines. Even a s211 e500 wagon and dropping in the v8k. I would prefer it on the 32 since its much lighter and the torque would hyrdoplane it haha Overlooking the w203 amg is putting it lightly. They are unimpressive to most unfortunately. At least our community is still hyped.
Got quoted $750 for eurocharged headers and tune. Good deal??
I would say its a decent price for a two item deal. Headers are expensive alone and a tune is tough to decide on since there are the ones with history like eurocharged but there are other options that have surfaced like raceiq and probably local tuners as well. Its a matter of research. But 750 is justa one and done deal and removes a lot of headache. please post what you end up doing. I know headers will open up the v8 sound and add a small hp bump alone.
Got my 2003 C32 in 2014 with 150km's, put 40km's on it since. Two owner, it had spent 8years with a bank employee...
I have had nearly every possible disaster with the C32: replaced bad intercooler (thanks to a flash fried IAT sensor during WOT), destroyed the NAG transmission (glycol cont.), cracked the oil cooler (lol srysly), boiled the magnetic SC clutch twice, dead pump, etc.
However, I have done almost every possible thing to the C32.
Never stranded me. I respect it, but drive the absolute nuts out of it.
M112k makes serious torque down low. Just did new coils, plugs and wires, purrs and idles like it's brand new.
I have a nice pulley; never found one smaller than 61.9mm, when I cook it like I did the others I'll probably fix weld it to the blower for good. I'm also ready to go up front for stacking.
Only current issues: A) need to roll the rear fenders. 255 tires cannot handle the power, need 275s+ B) Bad Canadian roads make her rust in all the usual W203 spots. It's very difficult to watch, and I have trouble justifying a full blown metal cut and replace on such a common chassis, but uncommon model :/
I have read dozens of owners being angry/sad about losing or selling their 32, that I know to never part.
She will always have a replacement part, which the current mods should confirm:
Replaced lots of little stuff, tweeters, speakers, HU, switches, lcd, etc.
Only car that gives you a free gold caliper paint-job upgrade:
5min re-re on the lazy LCD
Went through a fair bit of coolant saving up for an intercooler re-re..... this needed to be sandblasted out by Eurocharged...
tl;dr - Weathered C32 doing well; no CEL.
This is really what I was looking for in terms of how everyones 32/55 was doing. Impressive mod list and mindset when it comes to caring for it. I am curious what you mean on the 275's being better for the power you are putting down. Do you have 18 wheels or the stock 32 17 monoblocks? I recently bought some s55 wheels for my 32 and need spacers to install them but I am also torn on which tires. I could get the regular 245/255 or I could go up to 265 with close to no rubbing or even 275 with the possibility of having to roll/pull the rear to fit such a wide tire.
As for the lazy LCD screen...please post more info on that. Mine is impossible to see in the day and I dont mind buying the screen for about 70 bucks locally. I just need to know if I can do it or if there is somewhere I can go or send it to. I am really impressed with what you wrote here. I hope to continue seeing posts and updates on your 32 and also hope you don't have to cut into your rare chassis.
Just bought my first Mercedes. Not sure what im getting into, 06 c32 amg doesnt run. I sat in it for a while though and made vroom vroom noises and it was fun. Looking to post here of my experience over time. Likely a different ride than the 57 Chevy I've driven for 30 years.
To keep with the spirit of the OP, i havent enjoyed my c32 much YET since ive had it. Looking forward to the experience.
Welcome to the amg club if actually have the correct amg mercedes. The c32 was only produced fro, 02-04 in the US and after that it was the c55 for 05-06. Please post a pic of the engine bay so we can see its magnificence. Welcome regardless. Also post a side by side with you class chevy. I appreciate classics as well. I hope you can enjoy the amg as much as we do.
I had no idea your 55 had such high miles (relatively high of course) but that is a testament to the quality. Why did you have to pull out the v12 on me now? I am planning extremely hard on getting a s65 in the future. How has it been for you maintenance wise? is the suspension really as troublesome as people say. I really like the sl55 but an sl65 is just drool material.
I've been fairly lucky on the SL65 in owning it the past 5 years; the only major problem I've had was needing to replace the passenger side coil pack. I haven't had any issues on the suspension nor other things. The 65 is definitely drool material. I debate even selling it; especially when it's clean, you take it out and put the top down, start the V12 burble; even my brother reminded me "You wanna sell your twin turbo V12? They don't build them like that anymore". But there's so many awesome cars out there to try, you question to yourself whether it's worthwhile to keep one for so long.
Same with the C55 - when clean, it's still a beautiful modern car and it just keeps running and running. It's been my DD forever, but after buying another DD, it's just not worth having two. So I go back and forth on whether to keep the C55 or not, because it's still relevant and awesome.
In the end, I just need to rip of the band-aid and get a couple buyers and turn around and walk away with good memories and experiences.
2005 C55, I am the 2nd owner and bought it with 77K miles in August 2010. It replaced my 1989 300E which I took over from my father since high school in 2005. Ah, memories!
It has been such a great car. Like others have mentioned here, I love the formula of the car. Take a small, but practical 4 door sedan and stuff a big NA V8 into the engine bay. Keep it simple while still providing luxury and power. Win!
It has let me down twice. Well, maybe 1.5 times.
1st time: CPS failed in traffic on the highway driving home from work. I kind of knew what the problem was as soon as it happened since I occasionally lurk on these forums and picked up on what this might be like. I waited for 10 minutes, restarted the car and nursed the car home. ~$30 new part and some cursing in the driveway and it was all back to 100%.
*Moved to a new city*
2nd time: Driving to a nearby city, on the highway, I get a red light message in the center LCD with "alternator/battery visit workshop". I pulled over and got it towed home. It still started and drove on/off the tow truck on it's own power, for what it is worth. With the help of this forum, it turned out to be the voltage regulator. BTW, living in an apartment in a big city with a common underground parking garage is a hell of a challenge for a DIYer like me, but I learned how to make it work! Ha! (Hint, remove what you can off the car and fix it in your apartment, then take it back to reinstall.)
I have upgraded the steering wheel, replaced the shift buttons with paddles, put on the P030 brake package, switched to Forgestar wheels, installed the Renntech CF airbox, switched the aluminum trim to wood trim (I prefer it!), swapped to a Brabus shift knob and digital HVAC controls.
Other maintenance: Had to reseal the passenger side valve cover due to small oil leak that would give a burning smell inside the car. Decided to paint the valve cover red+clear while it was off. Replaced the driver side bumper turn signal housing due to heavy corrosion which kept giving me a bulb out warning despite installing fresh bulbs, Also replaced the passenger side mirror mount LED turn signal as it crapped out. Been doing oil and filter changes with M1 0W-40 every 5K miles.
Since moving to a new city and living in an apartment, I found a self-service garage near me that rents lift time at $40 an hour, I recently used it to change my transmission filter, drain and fill 3.5 liters of trans oil, clean the pan, magnet, and change the rear transmission mount. I really need to do the engine mounts, but I am at a total loss on how to get the old ones out. Every time I take a look at it, I come away with a headache.
Due to age and cracks, I elected to replaced the front bumper, fog lights, and repaint the fenders and hood at a local body shop for a big bill, but I love this car so much I did not care about the economics.
Recently, I have been thinking about how to integrate Android Auto and Apple Carplay and found that there is an open source community supporting Android Auto using Raspberry Pi hardware, so I bought off the shelf items, assembled them, uploaded the software following basic instructions and mounted the screen on the dash. It only works for Android Auto, but I got my phone to project to the Raspberry Pi and route the audio to the Bluetooth puck I have plugged into the AUX port so it all works for now and I like the upgrade given the cost ($150ish) I am designing a new housing for the LCD that I want to extend from the triangular dash grill piece with. Hopefully, I can 3D print it using Shapeways.com and have a way to hide all the wires and give it an OEM look.
I lust for a C63 with the 6.2, but am saving up for a house in my area with a 3+ car garage to support my hobby! Hoping to snag a late model W204 one day, but not sure if I am ready to let go of the C55. Maybe I can somehow keep both!
Last edited by Rahulio1975280C; 05-15-2019 at 12:14 AM.
I've been fairly lucky on the SL65 in owning it the past 5 years; the only major problem I've had was needing to replace the passenger side coil pack. I haven't had any issues on the suspension nor other things. The 65 is definitely drool material. I debate even selling it; especially when it's clean, you take it out and put the top down, start the V12 burble; even my brother reminded me "You wanna sell your twin turbo V12? They don't build them like that anymore". But there's so many awesome cars out there to try, you question to yourself whether it's worthwhile to keep one for so long.
Same with the C55 - when clean, it's still a beautiful modern car and it just keeps running and running. It's been my DD forever, but after buying another DD, it's just not worth having two. So I go back and forth on whether to keep the C55 or not, because it's still relevant and awesome.
In the end, I just need to rip of the band-aid and get a couple buyers and turn around and walk away with good memories and experiences.
I see both of your cars in the classifieds. Well if they sell at least you enjoyed the hell out of them I'm sure and it was def an honor to get advice and replies from yourself. If they both sell, whats next forsure? How has your selling gone? tire kickers/ time wasters?
[QUOTE=Rahulio1975280C;7755684]I saw this thread and wanted to post, too!
2005 C55, I am the 2nd owner and bought it with 77K miles in August 2010. It replaced my 1989 300E which I took over from my father since high school in 2005. Ah, memories!
It has been such a great car. Like others have mentioned here, I love the formula of the car. Take a small, but practical 4 door sedan and stuff a big NA V8 into the engine bay. Keep it simple while still providing luxury and power. Win!
It has let me down twice. Well, maybe 1.5 times.
1st time: CPS failed in traffic on the highway driving home from work. I kind of knew what the problem was as soon as it happened since I occasionally lurk on these forums and picked up on what this might be like. I waited for 10 minutes, restarted the car and nursed the car home. ~$30 new part and some cursing in the driveway and it was all back to 100%.
*Moved to a new city*
2nd time: Driving to a nearby city, on the highway, I get a red light message in the center LCD with "alternator/battery visit workshop". I pulled over and got it towed home. It still started and drove on/off the tow truck on it's own power, for what it is worth. With the help of this forum, it turned out to be the voltage regulator. BTW, living in an apartment in a big city with a common underground parking garage is a hell of a challenge for a DIYer like me, but I learned how to make it work! Ha! (Hint, remove what you can off the car and fix it in your apartment, then take it back to reinstall.)
I have upgraded the steering wheel, replaced the shift buttons with paddles, put on the P030 brake package, switched to Forgestar wheels, installed the Renntech CF airbox, switched the aluminum trim to wood trim (I prefer it!), swapped to a Brabus shift knob and digital HVAC controls.
Other maintenance: Had to reseal the passenger side valve cover due to small oil leak that would give a burning smell inside the car. Decided to paint the valve cover red+clear while it was off. Replaced the driver side bumper turn signal housing due to heavy corrosion which kept giving me a bulb out warning despite installing fresh bulbs, Also replaced the passenger side mirror mount LED turn signal as it crapped out. Been doing oil and filter changes with M1 0W-40 every 5K miles.
Since moving to a new city and living in an apartment, I found a self-service garage near me that rents lift time at $40 an hour, I recently used it to change my transmission filter, drain and fill 3.5 liters of trans oil, clean the pan, magnet, and change the rear transmission mount. I really need to do the engine mounts, but I am at a total loss on how to get the old ones out. Every time I take a look at it, I come away with a headache.
Due to age and cracks, I elected to replaced the front bumper, fog lights, and repaint the fenders and hood at a local body shop for a big bill, but I love this car so much I did not care about the economics.
Recently, I have been thinking about how to integrate Android Auto and Apple Carplay and found that there is an open source community supporting Android Auto using Raspberry Pi hardware, so I bought off the shelf items, assembled them, uploaded the software following basic instructions and mounted the screen on the dash. It only works for Android Auto, but I got my phone to project to the Raspberry Pi and route the audio to the Bluetooth puck I have plugged into the AUX port so it all works for now and I like the upgrade given the cost ($150ish) I am designing a new housing for the LCD that I want to extend from the triangular dash grill piece with. Hopefully, I can 3D print it using Shapeways.com and have a way to hide all the wires and give it an OEM look.
I lust for a C63 with the 6.2, but am saving up for a house in my area with a 3+ car garage to support my hobby! Hoping to snag a late model W204 one day, but not sure if I am ready to let go of the C55. Maybe I can somehow keep both!
[/QUOTE
]
Super dope post. I hope you keep it since youve managed to care for it for so long but a c63 is really the next step. Even I still search classifieds for a w204 amg. Ideally a supercharged one but thats serious next level. Did the paint on the valve covers wear down or what type of paint did you use? I was thinking of powder coating mine and even powder coating the intake. Either way your reply is great, and the mods add serious value to yours so dont settle for less if you happen upon a buyer.
Also the 3d printing the housing for the lcd, have you considered designing your own on slic3r? What kind of printer do you have? or what kind of plastic will you use?
Here is mine. 03 with 158kms on her. Had it a few weeks now. Replaced a failing fuel pump. Water pump is up next. Oil change was simple and done. All filters and a proper multistage surface detailing done. Cars in great shape had 3 owners before me, 1 for 12 years. Interior is near mint and the exterior is very good. So far... a wicked amount of car for the money and has been pretty simple to wrench.
This is really what I was looking for in terms of how everyones 32/55 was doing. Impressive mod list and mindset when it comes to caring for it. I am curious what you mean on the 275's being better for the power you are putting down. Do you have 18 wheels or the stock 32 17 monoblocks? I recently bought some s55 wheels for my 32 and need spacers to install them but I am also torn on which tires. I could get the regular 245/255 or I could go up to 265 with close to no rubbing or even 275 with the possibility of having to roll/pull the rear to fit such a wide tire.
As for the lazy LCD screen...please post more info on that. Mine is impossible to see in the day and I dont mind buying the screen for about 70 bucks locally. I just need to know if I can do it or if there is somewhere I can go or send it to. I am really impressed with what you wrote here. I hope to continue seeing posts and updates on your 32 and also hope you don't have to cut into your rare chassis.
Thanks!
Well, this is no joke - I blew the fuel pump on the car. So I really do think I have broken everything. (My cupholder still works and is OE though!!; I promise I am not a full maniac)
I'll have to make a full post soon on all the little rust spots, and the places where I've spend four figures over and over
It is still on the OE 17 split-spokes. I run 225/45R17 up front due to race stance (rubbed with 235's), in the rear I have 255/40R17, which are occasionally rubbing when I go sideways on the road. I will need to roll the fenders (and potentially modify the tubs), as I have lowered the rear to match the front so the car has zero rake, risky to the rears but it looks damn good.
I love the Michelin Pilot SS's up front, but prefer the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R in the rear (I get them cheap and they hook really well)
The LCD is suuuper easy, hit ebay for the LCD (I got mine $90CAN from a used C240 dash), then pop the whole dash out of its socket with two ends of a coat hanger with 90deg. hook bends at the ends, you'll hear one tick/side while you slightly pull the whole unit out, careful to unlatch and unhook the single cable in the rear. Take it somewhere clean, (no dust), take the lens off and replace the screen with the ribbon cable. Re-insert and you're done, look for dust if you are OCD . Mine got the summer woes the first season I owned it and it sucked to stare at my transmission position on a screen faded from the top and bottom.
05-01-2019, 05:06 PM
. Mine got the summer woes the first season I owned it and it sucked to stare at my transmission position on a screen faded from the top and bottom.
